Continuous horizontal strip-casting apparatus



1967 E. MULLER 3,349,335

CONTINUOUS HORI ZONTAL STRIP-CASTING APPARATUS Filed May 13, 1965 .3Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG! Oct. 31, 1967 MULLER 3,349,835

CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL STRIP-CASTING APPARATUS Filed May 13, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 31,1967

CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL STRIP-CASTING APPARATUS Filed May 15, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet {5 FIGS E. MULLER 3,349,835

United States Patent 3,349,835 CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL STRIP-CASTINGAPPARATUS Erich Miiller, Essen, Germany, assignor to BeteiligungsundPatentverwaltungsgesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Essen, Germany,a corporation of Germany Filed May 13, 1965, Ser. No. 455,481 Claimspriority, application Germany, May 15, 1964, B 76,787 12 Claims. (Cl.164-158) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A strip-casting apparatus forcasting of metals, which comprises a stationary frame and asubstantially horizontal reciprocable continuous mold having an upperpart and a lower part. The latter has a form complementary to theprofile of the metal strip to be cast. An inlet funnel is disposedadjacent the mold and is adapted to feed liquid metal into the mold. Thelower part of the mold extends to a lower part of the funnel. The moldhas cooling conduits extending therethrough. A rotatable metal feedingroll is disposed above the lower part of the mold and has a plurality ofcooling conduits. The surface of the metal feeding roll is formedcomplementary to the profile of the metal strip to be cast.

The present invention relates to a continuous strip-casting apparatusfor casting of metal.

The known strip-casting apparatus is operated generally by means ofvertically disposed molds. Depending upon the congealing orsolidification conditions to which the metal to be cast has to besubjected, such arrangement requires often considerable structuralheights, which require corresponding tall buildings. In order to avoidthese structural heights, such arrangements have already been built intodeep pits.

During strip casting of steel, wherein the structural height is muchlarger than during the working with other metals, caused by the longliquid funnel, it is also known already to bend over the cast stripsinto the horizontal direction under the transport rolls, an expedientWhich is possible due to the then still prevailing strip temperature.

Furthermore, an installation is known for the manufacture of metalbands, e.g. a copper band, in which installation the metal iscrystallized onto a cooled rotating drum immersed into a liquid metalbath. It is, however, not possible to produce other semi-finishedproducts as bands.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a strip-castingapparatus which avoids the drawbacks of the known structures.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a strip-castingapparatus for casting of metals, which is of a horizontal arrangement.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide astrip-casting apparatus, wherein the lower part of the mold, equippedwith cooling conduits, extends up to the lower part of an inlet funneland a metal feeding roller, provided with cooling conduits, is disposedin front of the shorter, upper part of the mold, which is formedaccording to the profile of the metal strip to be cast, the surface ofthe metal feeding roller being formed likewise according to the metalstrip to be cast.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide astrip-casting apparatus, wherein a packing of refractory, plastic andmetal repelling mass is provided between the inlet funnel, the advancedlower part of the mold and the metal feeding roller, in order to protectthe metal feeding roller in front of the liquid metal and in theadvanced lower part of the mold.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide astrip-casting apparatus which includes a brush arranged on the upperpart of the periphery of the metal feeding roller adapted for thecleaning of the surface of the metal feeding roller and which providessimultaneously a spraying device for the application of the moldlubricant, while a feed conduit for the mold conduit is arranged in theadvanced lower part of the mold.

It is also a further object of the present invention to provide astrip-casting apparatus which includes a lifter formed according to theprofile of the metal strip between the metal strip and the metal feedingroller at the upper part of the mold, in order to prevent the surface ofthe metal strip, which surface is only thinly solidified due to thecooling effect of the cooled metal feeding roller, being broken up againby the metal feeding roller.

It is of advantage to provide a joint drive for the transport roller andthe metal feeding roller, in order to obtain a synchronous rotationalspeed for both rollers. It is possible, however, to provide individualdrives for the transport roller and for the metal feeding roller, andthe synchronous rotational speed can be achieved by means of a commonelectrical control means.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention will be clearlyunderstood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a horizontal strip-castingapparatus according to the present invention along the lines 11 of FIG.2;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the strip-casting apparatus comprises aninlet funnel 2 over which the liquid metal 1 is fed by means of a ladle(not shown) or by means of a teeming furnace in a free fall over apouring device or over a direct connection (not shown) into theapparatus, which liquid metal 1 is covered by a protective mass 3, inorder to prevent oxidation. A skimmer 4 prevents that slag or oxidesenter in an unwarranted manner the liquid metal 1.

The mold, consisting of two parts 5 and 6, which are rigidly connectedtogether and which perform a reciprocating movement during the casting,is set-off in its upper part 5 at the entrance point for the liquidmetal 1 corresponding to the profile of the metal feeding roll 10 overthe upper part 5 of the mold, while the lower part 6 constituting theinlet part, is advanced to the inlet funnel 2. The inlet funnel 2, aswell as the metal feeding roll 10, perform the reciprocating movementsof the mold during the casting by using any conventional means therefor.

The upper part 5 of the mold is, however, set-off along the center lineof the profile, in case of the use of round cross-sections. The metalfeeding roll 10, equipped with cooling tubes 9, is arranged in front ofthe set-off upper part 5 of the mold, which metal feeding roll 10 isformed according to the profile 7 of the metal strip 8. The metalfeeding roll 10 engages at its lower engaging point the surface of themetal strip 8, rotates in the direction of movement of the latter anddrives forwardly the latter in this manner.

The metal feeding roll 10 is sealed off toward the liquid metal 1 in theinlet funnel 2, as well as: in the advanced lower part 6 of the mold bymeans of a packing 11 made of a refractory, metal-repelling plasticmass. The mold lubricant, required for the sliding of the metal strip 8in the mold, is fed for the upper part of the metal strip 8 by means ofa spraying device 12 to the metal feeding roll 10, which is cleaned by arotating brush 13, and reaches with the latter the surface of the metalstrip 8. The mold lubricant for the lower part of the metal strip 8 isfed into the mold by means of a feeding conduit '14 terminating in theadvanced part 6 of the mold.

' In order to prevent the surface of the metal strip 8, which is onlythinly solidified, due to the cooling effect of the cooled metal feedingroll 10, being broken up again by the metal feeding roll 10, a lifter 15is provided on the set-off edge of the upper part 5 of the mold.

The mold which is cooled by a coolant fed through conduits 16, issecured to a lifting slide 18 mounted in the machine frame 17, whichlifting slide 18 is driven by a controllable drive 19 by means of thedrive shaft 20 and the pushand connecting rods 21.

The metal strip 8, which is on the outside already completelysolidified, moves from the indirect cooling zone in the mold into a zone22 providing direct cooling by means of spraying nozzles 23, by whichthe coolant is sprayed on, where the metal strip 8 is completelysolidified and is maintained by non-driven support rolls 24 still inhorizontal position.

Transport rolls 25, which have the same rotational speed as the metalfeeding roll 10, caused by a common drive 26 or also by individual, yetcommon electrically controlled drives, move the metal strip 8 independency upon the profile 7 of the metal strip 8, the type of metalcast and the casting speed from the mold to the further workingstations.

In the joint drive 26 of the transport rolls 25 and of the metal feedingroll 10, the drive of the metal feeding roll 10 takes place over thedrive shaft 27 and any suitable transmission 28.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is tobe understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in alimiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined bythe objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A strip-casting apparatus for casting of metals, comprising astationary frame,

a substantially horizontal reciprocable continuous mold having an upperpart and a lower part, said upper part being shorter than said lowerpart,

said lower part and said upper part of said mold having a formcomplementary to the profile of the metalstrip to be cast,

an inlet funnel disposed adjacent said mold and adapted to feed liquidmetal into said mold,

said lower part of said mold extending to a lower part of said inletfunnel,

said mold having cooling conduits extending therethrough, a rotatablemetal feeding roll disposed between said upper mold part and said inletformed above said lower part of said mold,

said metal feeding roll having a plurality of cooling conduits,

the surface of said metal feeding roll being formed complementary to theprofile of said metal strip to be cast, and means for performing areciprocating movement of said mold, funnel and feeding roll.

2. The strip-casting apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, 60

which includes packing means disposed between said inlet funnel, the

advanced end portion of said lower part of said mold and said metalfeeding roll. 3. The strip-casting apparatus, as set forth in claim 2,in which said packing means comprises a refractory, plastic,

metal-repelling mass. 4. The strip-casting apparatus, as set forth inclaim 1, which includes spraying means disposed adjacent said metalfeeding roll adapted for applying a lubricant to the outer surface ofsaid metal feeding roll. 5. The strip-casting apparatus, as set forth inclaim 4, which includes feed means connected to said lower part of saidmold for applying a lubricant thereto. 6. The strip-casting apparatus,as set forth in claim 1, which includes brush means disposed at theupper part of the periphery of said metal feeding roll adapted forcleaning the surface of said metal feeding roll. 7. The strip-castingapparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which includes lifting meansdisposed at the set-off edge of said upper part of said mold betweensaid strip and said metal feeding roll, said lifting means having a formcomplementary to the profile of said metal strip to be cast. 8. Thestrip-casting apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which comprises directcooling means for said metal strip to be cast disposed behind said moldand including spray nozzles for a coolant surrounding said metal stripand at least one pair of supporting roll means engaging said metalstrip. 9. The strip-casting apparatus, as set forth in claim 8, whichincludes at least a pair of transport rolls behind said direct coolingmeans for discharging said strip from said apparatus. 10. Thestrip-casting apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, which comprises commondrive means for rotating said metal feeding roll and said transportrolls at substantially synchronous speeds. 11. The strip-castingapparatus, as set forth in claim 10, in which said drive means includesa drive for said transport rolls and transmission means between saiddrive and said metal feeding roll, for rotating the latter. 12. Thestrip-casting apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which comprises aslide reciprocable on said frame, and acted upon by said reciprocatingmeans, and carrying said mold thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 379,096 3/1888 Brooke 164-337 X1,088,171 2/1914 Pehrson 164260 2,565,959 8/1951 Francis et al 164-89 X2,348,178 5/1944 Merle 164276 3,045,299 7/1962 Steigerwald l64256FOREIGN PATENTS 843,203 3/1939 France.

I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

R. D. BALDWIN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A STRIP-CASTING APPARATUS FOR CASTING OF METALS, COMPRISING ASTATIONARY FRAME, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL RECIPROCABLE CONTINUOUSMOLD HAVING AN UPPER PART AND A LOWER PART, SAID UPPER PART BEINGSHORTER THAN SAID LOWER PART, SAID LOWER PART AND SAID UPPER PART OFSAID MOLD HAVING A FORM COMPLEMENTARY TO THE PROFILE OF THE METALSTRIPTO BE CAST, AN INLET FUNNEL DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID MOLD AND ADAPTED TOFEED LIQUID METAL INTO SAID MOLD, SAID LOWER PART OF SAID MOLD EXTENDINGTO A LOWER PART OF SAID INLET FUNNEL, SAID MOLD HAVING COOLING CONDUITSEXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A ROTATABLE METAL FEEDING ROLL DISPOSED BETWEENSAID UPPER MOLD PART AND SAID INLET FORMED ABOVE SAID LOWER PART OF SAIDMOLD, SAID METAL FEEDING ROLL HAVING A PLURALITY OF COOLING CONDUITS,THE SURFACE OF SAID METAL FEEDING ROLL BEING FORMED COMPLEMENTARY TO THEPROFILE OF SAID METAL STRIP TO BE CAST, AND MEANS FOR PERFORMING ARECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF SAID MOLD, FUNNEL AND FEEDING ROLL.